Bingo board with slides firmly held in covering position



M. HERRING 3,468,54

BINGO BOARD WITH SLIDES FIRMLY HELD IN COVERING POSITION Sept. 23, 1969 Filed June 28, 1967 the m n M V1 m m a I, a I? M i M v 4 B N \iiii 'U.s. or. 273-136 United States Patent 3,468,541 BINGO BOARD WITH SLIDES FIRMLY HELD IN COVERING POSITION Mark Herring, Denver, 'Colo., assignor to Ace Bingo, Inc., Denver, Colo.

Filed June 28, 1967, Ser. No. 649,590

Int. Cl. A63f 3/00; G09f 9/00, 9/40 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game board for bingo and the like includes a front panel having rows of openings therein and a back panel disposed in a recess formed in the back surface of the front panel. The back panel has rows of characters on its front surface, each of the characters being aligned for viewing through one of the openings in the front panel; a slide movable in a longitudinal guide slot in the back surface of the front panel alongside each opening has a tab to advance the slide between a concealed position and a position in which the slide covers the character. The slide is formed of flexible material and its rear face has ribs at its edges which are spaced to permit flexing of the slide, said ribs being in frictional engagement with the rear panel but spacing the slide therefrom to prevent it from rubbing against the character. At one end of the front face of the slide is a boss which normally engages the front panel and holds the slide in its concealed position. When the slide is moved into a position covering the character, the boss moves into engagement with a rib carried by the front panel, this engagement flexing the slide and providing increased friction which holds the slide in position.

This invention relates to a novel and improved game board; and more particularly relates to an improved game board for bingo and the like.

Various types of game boards for bingo and the like have been devised. Such game boards have included those in which numbers may be covered by slides movable from a concealed position alongside the opening. However, the movable slides have tended to become accidentally displaced; or, when mounted to prevent their accidental displacement, have tended to rub against and wear the numbers under constant use. This is overcome in the present invention by utilizing a novel rib configuration to prevent accidental displacement of the slides while maintaining the slides in spaced relation to the numbers in a highly simplified and unique manner.

Furthermore, prior game boards utilizing concealed slides have required relatively thick panels in order to accommodate the slides. The present invention utilizes a game board which is relatively thin in comparison with the previously suggested game boards.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide anovel and improved game board for bingo which is compact, being comprised of a minimum number of parts, and which is relatively inexpensive to fabricate and assemble.

It is another object of the present invention to provide in a bingo game board novel and improved slides that may not be accidentally displaced while eliminating the need for special guide slots in the front or back panel of the board.

In accordance with the present invention, the game board has a front panel formed with a plurality of rows of openings. The back surface of the front panel has a recess which encompasses all of the rows of openings formed therein. A back panel is disposed within the recess with the back surface in flush relation to the back surface of the front panel. The front surface of the back panel has characters arranged thereon with each of the characters adapted to be viewed through one of the openings in the front panel. The front panel has longitudinal slots formed in its back surface, each slot being aligned with one of the rows of openings, and a plurality of slides are disposed in each slot to cooperate with the openings in the front panel. Each slide has a base with a tab projecting outwardly through an associated opening for grasping to positively displace the slide, and a boss frictionally engages the front panel and cooperates with a pair of spaced ribs projecting inwardly from the opposite side of the base to the tab and the boss to engage the front surface of the back panel whereby to prevent accidental movement of the slide and at the same time to prevent the slide from wearing the characters on the back panel. The front panel includes ribs extending into the slots for cooperation with the slides to provide increased friction when the slides are displaced and positioned over the characters on the back panel.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more readily understood and appreciated from consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred form of the game board of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the game board of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the front panel of the game board of FIGURE 1 with the back panel removed.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the game board of FIGURE 1 taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the game board of FIGURE 1 showing a slide in its concealed and covering positions and taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the structure of FIGURE 4 taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring in more detail to the drawing and particularly to FIGURES l and 3, there is shown a game board 10 having a substantially rectangular shape. The game board 10 includes a front panel 11 and a rear panel 12, and the panels 11 and 12 are preferably formed of an opaque, relatively inflexible plastic material.

The back surface of the front panel 11 is provided with a shallow recess 14 to receive the back panel 12. As shown in FIGURE 3, the depth of the recess 14 and the thickness of the back panel 12 are substantially the same so that the back surface of the back panel 12 is in the plane of the back surface of the front panel 11 and results in a compact and relatively thin game board.

The front panel 11 has a plurality of openings or apertures 15 formed along the recessed portion 14, the openings 15 being disposed in a plurality of horizontal rows. Also the openings 15 are shown as being aligned in vertie cal rows, although the vertical alignment is not essential to practice of the present invention. In turn, the front surface of the back panel 12 has characters 16, which are shown as numerals in FIGURE 1, being formed preferably by printing, in rows with each of the characters 16 adapted to be viewable through one of the openings 15 in the front panel 11. While the characters 16 have been shown as numerals, it should be understood that they could be letters or other symbols.

The front panel 11 has an opening 17 adjacent one corner thereof to permit viewing of a serial number, for example, that would be on the front surface of the back panel 12. This permits appropriate identification of each game card. Of course, the opening 17 may be eliminated if identification of each game board is not desired. Then,

both the recess 14 and the back panel 12 may be of substantially rectangular shape.

The front panel 11 has a plurality of horizontal slots 18 formed in its back surface; and as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, each of the slots 18 is aligned with and traverses one of the horizontal rows of the openings 15. Furthermore, the width of each of the slots 18 is slightly greater than the height of each of the openings 15, for a purpose to be described. As shown in FIGURE 2, the recess 14 encompasses the openings 15, the opening 17 and slots 18. Thus, the front surface of the back panel 12 forms a backing member for movement of slide members 19 within the slots.

The slots 18 have a plurality of slides 19 disposed therein with each of the slides 19 associated with one of the openings 15. Preferably, the slides 19 are formed of a transparent, colored, plastic material so that the character 16 may be visible to the user of the game board even when covered by a cooperating slide 19.

The slide 19 is defined by a generally rectangular base 20 having a pair of relatively wide, thick, longitudinal ribs 21 extending along opposite sides of the base 20 and projecting inwardly or downwardly therefrom. The ribs 21 serve to space the undersurface of the base 20 from the front face of the back panel 12, as shown in FIG- URE 5, so that the characters 16 are not worn as the slide 19 is displaced across the opening. The ribs run the length of each slide and are of a thickness to occupy the depth of the slot. In this way the ribs will bear against the opposed facing surfaces of the front and back panels, and on being advanced to the covering position will flank the top and bottom edges of the characters.

Each slide 19 has a tab 22 projecting outwardly, or upwardly, from the one end of the base 20 in a direction opposite to the ribs 21. The tab 22 projects through the opening in the front panel 11 with which the slide 19 is to cooperate for grasping by the user of the game board 10. This permits the slide 19 to be moved from its concealed position, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 4, to cover the character 16 appearing in the opening.

The slide 19 also has a boss 23 extending upwardly from the base but at the opposite end of the base 20 from the tab 22. The boss 23 frictionally engages the undersurface of the front panel 11 and cooperates with the ribs 21 to prevent accidental displacement of the slide 19 from its concealed position. When the slide 19 is moved to its covering position, the boss 23 engages a rib 24, the latter projecting inwardly from the back of the front panel 11 for a limited distance into the slot 18, so that increased frictional engagement occurs between the slide 19' and the panels to secure the slide 19 in the covering position. It will be noted that the boss 23 is of limited width, being disposed intermediately between opposite sides of the slide, and in pressing against the rib 24 on the front panel lends a somewhat bowed or .arcuate cross-sectional configuration to the slide. In this relation, the construction and composition of the slides is such that they have increased flexibility or give in comparison to the panels 11 and 12 whereby to permit flexing of the slides as they are advanced across the openings.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, each slot 18 is of a length to extend beyond one end of each row of openings 15, this being along the left side as viewed in FIGURE 1, and permits each of the slides 19 to be concealed when the character 16 is not covered bythe cooperating slide 19.

While the front panel 11, the back panel 12, and the slide 19 have been described as being formed of plastic, it should be understood that other equivalent -rnaterials may be employed, if desired, although the inherent frictional properties of plastic makeit ideally suited for the present invention. Additionally, while the slide 19 has been described as being formed of a transparent, colored, plastic material, it should be understood that the slide 19 could be formed of other translucent or opaque materials if desired.

all)

'ferred form as well as itsdhtended use.

An important feature of this invention resides in the slides requiring a positive force for advancement back and forth across the openings-without wearing against the printed characters, especially to afford increased friction as the slides move into the covering position; yet the slides can be readily grasped and positivelyadvanced in either direction when desired. Moreover, by virtue of the relationship between the ribs. 21, boss 23 and rib 24, close-fitting frictional engagement between the slides and panels is retained even under constant use and wear; and in particular the incre'asedfriction between the boss 23 and rib 24 is effective to prevent or discourage displacement of the-slidefrom the number covering position except when grasped and positively advanced."

While the preferred form of the I game board of the present invention has unique application as described, it

is nevertheless to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the detailed construction and arrangement of elements comprising the pre- What is claimed is: "1. A" game board comprising'a front panel and a 'back panel'secured to the back of said front panel, a plurality of r'o'ws of openings formed in said front panel, guide slots formed in said front panel and opening through the rear face thereof, one of said slots being aligned with each row of openingsjsaid back panel having a plurality of rows of characters arranged on its front surface with each of said characters being aligned with one of the openings in said front panel, a plurality of slides mounted in each of said slots, each slide being disposed alongside an opening in one of said r'ows'for selectivemovement across the openingto cover the character appearing in the opening, said front panel having a plurality of ribs extending into each of said slots, each of said ribs being disposed adjacent one of said openings for frictionally engaging a cooperating slide to prevent accidental displacement thereof, andeach slide incl'uding a raised portion positioned to engage said front panel when said slide is in a retracted position and to move into engagement with said rib on said front panel as the slide is advanced to a position covering its opening, said slide being flexible and constructed to yield sufliciently to permit said engagement with said rib.

2. The game board according to claim 1 in which said slide has means to space the body portion of saidslide from the front surface of said back panel whereby to prevent said slide body from contacting the character on said back panel. I

3. The game'board according to claim 1 'in which the back surface of said front panel is provided with a recess for said back panel, the depth of the recess in said front panel corresponding with the thickness of said back panel so that the back'su'rface of said back panel and the back surface of said front panel lie in the same plane.

4. The game board according to claim 3 in which said slide includes a base occupying substantially the width of a slot, a pair'of ribs extending inwardly along opposite sides of said base for engagement with the front surface of said back panel to prevent said base from contacting the character on the front surface of said back panel, and a tab extending outwardly' from one end of said base through an opening to permit grasping thereof for advancing said slide in said slot and across the opening.

5. The game board according to claim 4 in which said raised portion is at the opposite end of said base from said tab. I i

6. A game board comprising a front panel and a back panel, said front panel having'arecess for-said backpanel formedin its 'back surface with a plurality of rows" of openings in the recessed portion of saidfront" panel, a corresponding series of horizontally extending guide slots extending along the back surface of said, front panel, each slot aligned with and in communication with a row. of openings, said back panel having a plurality of rows of characters arranged on its front surface with each of said characters being aligned with one of the openings in said front panel when said back panel is disposed in the recess in said front panel, and a plurality of slides mounted in each of said slots, each slide being disposed alongside an opening in one of said rows for selective movement across the opening to cover the character appearing in the opening, said slide including a generally rectangular flexible base occupying substantially the width of said slot, a rib extending inwardly along opposite sides of said base for engagement with the front surface of said back panel to prevent said base froni' contacting the character on the front surface of said back panel, a tab extending outwardly from one end of said base through the opening, means eflecting frictional engagement between said slide and said panels to maintain the slide in retracted position, and cooperating ribs on said front panel and base relatively positioned to be brought into engagement when the slide is moved to covering position, the arrangement being such as to produce increased friction between the slide and the panels sufficient to cause flexing of the slide.

7. The game board according to claim 6 in which said front and back panels are formed of a relatively inflexible, opaque plastic material, and each of said slides is composed of a relatively flexible, transparent plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 295,388 3/1884 Harrison 2'73135 2,230,178 1/1941 Campbell.

2,322,324 6/ 1943 Spitzner 273135 2,530,929 11/1950 Wirfel.

2,634,131 4/1953 Buchmiller 273-135 2,674,458 4/1954 Hayden 273135 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

